John Wambugu is an award-winning documentary photographer and the founder of MindMe International, a non-profit organization working with marginalized communities through sustainable development.
Wambugu's organization is centered on three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Quality Education, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Gender Equality, with his journey having started in the slums of Kibra and Mathare.
"I decided to start the foundation based on my experience after continuously witnessing communities that lack basic needs all across Africa. I felt hugely indebted to them and started the 'Laibu Mtaani' which aims at setting up solar-powered safe study community schools," he told Kenyans.co.ke on December 18, 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 25, 2019, announced that Kenya was making good progress towards the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but urged supporters to help complete the project.
"Although Kenya’s future is overall positive, sustained support from the international community and private sector is essential to Kenya’s realization of the SDGs," he had stated.
Wambugu told Kenyans.co.ke that through his organization, he intends establish 10 model safe community library spaces across slums in major towns in Kenya and in marginalized rural communities across Kenya by 2022.
He also stated that he has a project in the pipeline to establish a computer innovation hub with youth trained in software development so they can come up with tech-based solutions for their communities.
What stands out about projects undertaken by his organization is that it creates employment in the communities since they are managed by reformed members of the society who were once criminals.
Wambugu also stated that with safe spaces provided, it gave both boys and girls a place to study and interact with each other thereby keeping them away from disruptive activities like drug abuse and wanton sex that might lead to teenage pregnancies.
His work has been lauded by many including the area MCA Patricia Mutheu and the Mathare chief, alongside the Desai Memorial Foundation.
According to his Linkedin profile, he is an all-round achiever who has been awarded for various initiatives that he has undertaken and successfully delivered upon.
2015 was his best year, where he bagged the Winner Canon 2015 Climate Change Kenyan Photographer of the year, the Best Film Director for the Klima-Clima film Awards in Greece, and was nominated for Best Director of Photography at the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards-Nigeria.
Wambugu, in 2016, was the Winner Canon 2016 Documentary Photography Portraiture (series), where he was named Kenyan Photographer of the year.
